Information’s pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience. ~Clarence Day
Nearly every day, I work with colleagues who are eight or more time zones away. I’ve been doing this, with few interruptions, since the ‘80s. Back then, “geographically distributed” projects were run only by multinational corporations. Times have changed.
Global markets have become more interdependent, and collaboration across borders is now commonplace, even at smaller companies. Businesses know that they have to team up with companies in other regions to compete in the global “value creation” race*.
But a lot of companies struggle with this. In a June, 2009 survey by TMA World, 82% of respondents rated the performance of their company’s “global, virtual” teams as either ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’. Yet nearly all of those surveyed said that global teams were ‘very important’ to their organizations.
Several years ago, I discovered Laurence Gonzalez’s (’03) book, Deep Survival – Who Lives, Who Dies and Why about individuals surviving “do or die” situations. Recently, I glanced through it again thinking it might be helpful for business people grappling with the challenges of this economy. I couldn’t put it down. Now, I’m convinced of its value for anyone going through any kind of crisis.
Gonzalez studied hundreds of survival stories and presents many of them in his book. He shares tales of people surviving harrowing crashes and others lost in the wilderness. Fascinated by their travails, he ponders why some people make it, while others perish? What general lessons can we learn from how the survivors behaved?
Gonzalez finds that one of the key features “deep survivors” possess is the capacity to focus on “doing the next right thing”. Instead of becoming overwrought, survivors accept what’s happening earlier in the process and focus on extricating themselves. They reason, “Okay, I’m here. This is really happening. Now I’m going to do the next right thing…”
That principle seems straightforward, but grappling with reality during a crisis was harder for the non-survivors. Victims, overcome by fear, were less adept at accepting their situation.
Many victims are prone to hysteria, while others are immobilized. What differentiates “deep survivors” is their ability to convert their emotions to drive reasonable, helpful action.
The Slave Castle at Cape Coast, Ghana
Over the coarse of the eighteenth century, the Gold Coast produced more than a million slaves, about 15 percent of the total shipped from West Africa… ~Marcus Rediker, The Slave Ship
The first African-American President of the U.S. landed in Accra, Ghana last evening. His first trip to the Sub-Sahara has symbolic significance for many reasons. Many Africans believe that Barack Obama represents the ascendancy of Africa on a global stage, reversing the despair and hardship that’s plagued the continent during the post-colonial era. They hope that his visit will call attention to the steep challenges and promising opportunities the continent faces.
Stillness, insight, and wisdom arise only when we can settle into being complete in this moment, without having to seek or hold on to or reject anything. ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
We often give others the advice that we ourselves need to take to heart. That goes for recommending books. Keep that in mind while considering my summer reading suggestion, The Mindful Leader- Ten Principles for Bringing Out the Best in Ourselves and Others.
I recognize the value of mindfulness and have meditated intermittently since my college days. But often, I’ve placed my desire to succeed in the corporate world ahead of other interests. This book, by Michael Carroll, is a reminder to integrate mindfulness into all aspects of one’s life, including work.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. -Abraham Lincoln
The U.S. electorate is about to make its choice. The next president will be tested by an epic global economic downturn and a domestic crisis in leadership. Even before he takes office, he’ll need to inspire confidence in his approach. He’ll have to build a consensus with leaders of the opposition and will have to choose some of them to join his team. Governing in this environment will demand extraordinary leadership skills—sound judgment, character depth and an even temperament.
I’ve been reflecting lately on the virtues of leadership. I’ve thought about how heads of state in the U.S. and around the world have met challenges as vexing as these.
I keep returning to Jim Collins’ popular book, Good to Great. He analyzes how companies go from being merely good performers to achieving sustainable great performance. In identifying success factors, he noticed that truly great companies were led by what he termed “Level 5 leaders”—individuals who possess a rare and seemingly contradictory blend of intense drive and humility. Collins observed that these leaders demonstrated an abiding commitment to the long term success of their companies rather than advancing their own personal agendas.
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